Late Monday afternoon I returned from my first ever trip to the "Mile High City" where I spent five days and four nights visiting good friends Mr. & Mrs. V who moved to Denver from Rochester last summer.
Delta got me to Colorado in less than 2 hours. Napping on the plane made the trip fly by. I arrived by 10:30am on Thursday. Leaving us with plenty of time for shopping and a full day of fun!
First stop in Denver: Lunch. Then shop.
Next stop:
The beautiful home of my hosts for relaxing on the deck.
Homemade ravioli for dinner --- (a pasta machine has just been added to my wish list!)
Brenda and I both love to cook and try new recipes...
Cooking together was one of the best parts of my time there.
(I've linked two recipes from our time together at the end of this post)
Homemade ravioli for dinner --- (a pasta machine has just been added to my wish list!)
Brenda and I both love to cook and try new recipes...
Cooking together was one of the best parts of my time there.
(I've linked two recipes from our time together at the end of this post)
Their deck has a nice view of the mountains and is quite relaxing.
My room was nicely appointed and included
a bouquet of flowers and a nice selection of magazines!
On Friday I tested my lungs in the Mile High City joining Mrs. V on a walk/run. Oh. My. Goodness. Starting out I was very confident I would be able to handle the exercise and expected to run a good 2 miles. Within minutes I was sucking air like it was my job. Let's just say that the thinner air made running a challenge nearly impossible!
Physical torture exertion over, Mrs. V and I relaxed on the deck again before heading out to another beautiful Colorado style mall with all sorts of stores we don't find in Rochester. Finishing up shopping by dinner time, we headed across the parking lot with the sun setting on the mountains and met Mr. V for some beverages and appetizers.
We finished Friday evening off at home watching Les Miserables. My second time. Their first.
Tears were shed.
Saturday morning came fast and we kicked it off with some time in the beautiful weather.
Only minutes from their home (in their neighborhood) is a reservoir.
It's eight miles around.
We biked it. (at a good clip)
Biking is either easier on the lungs than running, or I was getting used to the thin air!
Beach. Boats. Shelters. Park. Food Stand. A perfect resting spot on the reservoir.
An awesome place to enjoy a beautiful day in the sun!
As we hit the finish line at the eight mile mark, we were greeted by some prairie dogs!
Another rest on the deck and we were ready to hit the town again!
Next stop, the former Lowry Air Force Base for another local brew (and fried pickles) at the Lowry Beer Garden before heading on to dinner.
Before: After:
Dinner was at Tables. A quaint restaurant known for exceptional food, and unique and collected tables by the owner/chef.
Mrs. V "won" best dish by choosing the best meal of the evening as judged by the three of us. Her crispy 1/2 chicken with artichoke/goat cheese bread pudding and roasted shallot pan sauce was nothing short of amazing! Definitely the best chicken I've ever tasted! Unfortunately I chose the Basil Gnocchi which was probably the worst Gnocchi I've ever tasted. Win some, lose some. We all nibbled on the Tuna Tartar (Sushi) which we are pretty sure is the culprit for all of us having an upset stomach by bedtime.
Sunday morning. Church. Love their church. Great message. Great building design (which is of great interest to me now that I'm working on our church design again)
Sunday afternoon. Naps. Relaxing. Sun on the deck. Girls shopping. Make your own homemade pizza on the grill for dinner!
Brenda's brother (Jeff) and niece (Nicole) arrived late Saturday night and stayed through early Sunday morning. They were making a trip from Arizona to Rochester moving Nicole "back home" to a new job in the Cities. Two of Brenda and Steve's boys (Nolan/Tyler) joined us on Sunday. Both are students at Colorado State University.
Monday ... got out on the trail again and tried the walk/run .... still sucked air like it was my job ... but it didn't stop me from moving.
Shower - Pack - then a final meal together. Ling and Louies and Asian bar and grill was a perfect lunch spot with patio dining! We both chose Orange Peel Chicken with rice....and were not disappointed. Brenda crossed one more thing off her bucket list .... trying edamame! She liked it, maybe not as much as me, but she said she would order it again.
Sad to say good-bye later in the afternoon ...
Plan to return in the fall...with Mr. D.
Then we'll hit up the mountains for some hiking and exploring!
As promised, recipes from Colorado:
